Lift truck platform



June 30, 1931 3, POWELL 1,812,218

LIFT TRUCK PLATFORM Filed-NOV. 20, 1950 Patented June 30, 1931 I UNITEDs'r TEIS PATENT OFFICE ELJuEn J 'i POWELL, or HUBBARD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR'r'o THE POWELL PRESSED STEEL COMPANY, OFYHVUBBARD, OHIO, A CORPORATIONor OHIO LIFT rnu'cx rLArroRn:

Application filed November 20, 1930. -Serial No. 496,915.

This 'inventionrelates to improvements in lift truck platforms, and hasto do particularly with the provision of runners for such platformswhich,'.in the preferred form of the invention, are extended to -formbumpers at the ends of the platform.

One of the-objects of the :mvention is the provision of a runner for theloweredge of a sheet metal platform which shall render the platformcapable of use as a skid or sled and shall at the same, time constitutea reenforcement.

Another object is the proyision of means for making runners of this kindeffective as bumpersfor the ends of the platform so as to save'thestructure fromdamage when it strikes obstacles of any kind.

Other objects and 'features'of novelt will appear as I proceed with thedescnptlon of these forms of-the invention which, for the purposes ofthe present applicatlon, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawins, in which igure 1 is a side elevational view of a lift truck platformembodying the lnvention,

part' of the platform being broken away to better disclose theconstruction.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. I Fig. 3 is a fragmental side view ona larger scale, showing one corner of the platform. Fig. 4 is afragmental end view of such part. I

Fig. 5 is a fragmental top view of the same.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental bottom view of the same.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification of theinvention, and

Fig. 8 is an end'view of the latter modification.

In Figs. l to 6 of the drawing I have il-' lustrated a lift truckplatform, that is a platform having side walls adapted to position theload su porting table far enough above the 'groun a lift truck to beprojected thereunder. This platform consists primarily of a sheet ofsteel provided with spaced parallel corrugations 10 extending entirelyacross the sheet, the sheet being bent along two parallel lines thetoenable the elevator of prefera'bl at ri ht' angles to the corrugationsto orni a orizontal load supporting portion or table 11 and two verticalsides 12. The four corners of the sheet are rounded oif'with a fairlylong radius, as indicated in Fig.1. ,The bottom and end edges of eachside wall 12 are then bound with a channel iron 13 which at the ends ofits horizontal portion. is bent to the same radius as that of thecorners of the sheet and extends upwardly alon the end edges of thelatter to the to t ereof. The lower horizontal portion 0 the channel 13constitutes a run ner,-rendering relatively easy the sliding of theplatform over the ound or floor, while the end portions of t e, channelserve as bumpers to protect the whole structure against distortion ordamage when it strikes against-an obstacle. These channels further--morepresent the advantage of reenforcing latform. 1 e channels 13 maybeattached to the platform in various ways, but I prefer to make theattachment .by means of spaced welds 14 between the channels and theouter surface portions of the side walls 12, welds 15 alon the curvedportions of the channel, and angular end wells 16 which extend along theU-shjiped end edge of each channel and down :the channel betweenitsouter fla i ge and t e side walls of the platform.

e space I etween the flanges of the chanpoint are spaced from the innersurfaces of the side Walls and are welded to the under .cated in Fig. 6.I I

The construction of Figs. 7 and 8-is simi side of the load supporting"table, as indilar to that of the previously described fi ures,comprising a load supporting tab e 17 and depending side walls 18,corrugations 19 running transversely across the portions 2 targets 17and 18, preferably at right angles to the bends connecting the sidewalls and too, as in the case of the first described form or theinvention. In Figs. 7' and 8 however the corners are rounded on asmaller radius and the channels 20 extend upward over these corners farenough only to prevent the ends "of the channels from digging intoinequalities in the surface of the door or the like I 10 over which theplatform is drawn or pushed.

In this instance the channel encloses or embraces the edge of the sideWall, including the corrugations 19, in the same manner as in the caseof the first modification, and the two parts may be joined at intervalsby side Welds 21 and end Welds 22, but the Welds 22 extend only alongthe outer surface of the side Wall, as the other end edges of thechannel stand away from the metal of the platform.

In the foregoing description I have necessarily gone somewhat intodetail in order to explain fully the particular embodiments of theinvention herein illustrated, but I 5 desire it to be understood thatsuch detailed disclosures are not to be constructed as amounting tolimitations, except as they may be included in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

l, A lift truck platform comprising integral sheet metal top and sidemembers, and means to prevent distortion of the edges of the sidemembers comprising a combined runner and bumper for each of said sidemembers having a metal channel embracing the lower and both end edges ofthe side member.

2. A lift truck platform comprising in- 40 tegral sheet metal top andside members having means to prevent distortion of the ground engagingedges, comprising a channel shaped metal runner for each side memher,said runner snugly embracing the lower 5 edge of the side member andhaving upturned ends to form runners.

In testimony, whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

ELMER El. POWELL.

